Nagoya's oldest building: Arako Kannon
30.01.2009

When the famed Buddhist monk, and compulsive wood-carver, Enku ,took up residence at the Arako Kannon temple (Kannonji, in today’s Nakagawa Ward) in 1676, this venerable temple was already over 900 years old, having been established in the early Heian period of the 8th century. Housing one of the region’s most important Kannon (Goddess of Mercy) statues, Arako Kannon has retained its pre-eminence in the district to the present day.

Of additional interest is the fact that of the various structures on-site when Enku arrived, one is still in existence. The two-tiered Tahoto (treasure) Pagoda had already been standing for 140 years in 1676, and it is still there in 2008 – a Muromachi Period building designated as a national cultural asset, and by far the city’s oldest structure.